Border stabilizer



March 18, 1958 G. DREws i BORDER STABILIZER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan.31. 195s l aff/gk.

` March 18, 1958 G. DREws BORDER STABILIZER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan,31. 1956 )Q IN VEN TOR.

2,826,769 Patented Mar. 18, 1958 BORDER STABILIZER Gustav Drews, GardenCity, N. Y., assigner to E clipse Sleep Products, Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y.,a corporation of New York Application January 31, 1956, Serial No.562,469 Claims. (Cl. 5--351) This invention relates to stablizers formattress borders in general, and more particularly to border stabilizerswhich are composed of a soft, yieldable material such as foam rubber, aplastic material, or the like.

Among the objects of the present invention, itis aimed to provide aborder stabilizer which will produce a uniform, smooth border throughoutthe entire length of the border or border sides of the mattress, whichwill at the same time also assure resuming its normal position after acompression force has been removed, and which will cooperate with theadjacent end spirals or hour-glass coils to eliminate any objectionablehard spots in the border when sitting upon the same as an instance.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide abord-er stabilizer composed of a soft, yieldable substance such as foamrubber, a polyester, a plastic material, or the like, which can beintimately attached to the entire inner face of the border to insure auniform, smooth outer appearance for the border at all times when thecompression on the border has been removed, and at the same time form abody-forming resistance to eliminate the necessity of securing a feltlling in the border of the mattress, which will yield uniformly in alldirections depending upon the pressure exercised thereby eliminating anyobjectionable hardspots, and which Will cooperate with the spirals orhour-glass coil springs of an inner spring unit to enable said innerspring unit mainly to absorb the pressure exercised upon the border andin turn rely upon the border stabilizer primarily to return the borderto its expressed or expanded position when the pressure on the borderhas been removed.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the presentinvention will appear from the subjoined detailed description ofspecific embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a conventional, full slze mattress equippedwith a one-piece border stabilizer made according to the presentinvention extending not only along the sides, but also along the ends,of the mattress, and Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmental section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental perspective of the border stabilizer detached. Y

Fig. 5 is a plan View similar to Fig. 1 showing a full size mattressequipped with two sections of the border stabilizer made according tothe present invention kextending only along thc two sides of themattress and not formed in the ends of the mattress.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmental section similar to Fig. 3 showinganother form of the border stabilizer made according to the presentinvention.

ln the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 there is illustrated a fullsize mattress 1 conventionally about seventy-four inches long byfifty-four inches wide by about eight inches deep, having an innerspring unit 2 consisting essentially of a plurality of hour-glass orspiral springs 3, conventionally arranged in about twentyone rows offourteen springs 3 to a row. These springs 3 are conventionallyinterconnected as shown in United States Letters Patent No. 2,509,831issued May 30, 1950. The springs 3 as there shown, adjacent the ends andsides of the mattress, are in turn connected at their upper and lowerends by the coil springs 4 to the rectangular upper and lower borderwires 5 and 6, respectively.

Above and below the levels of the border wires 5 and 6, conventionallythere are placed felt iillings 7 and 8, before compression about twoinches deep, and after compression approaching one inch in depth.

Thereupon the mattress ticking or mattress panel covering is secured inplace, comprising the upper sheet 9, the lower 'sheet 10, and the borderstrip 11, the ends of the strip 11 being secured to one another as bystitching or the like, and the outer edges of the sheets 9 and 10secured as by stitching to the upper and lower edges of the border strip11, all in accordance with convention as an instance.

In the present instance, when a one-piece strip of the border stabilizer12 is used as shown in Fig. l, two tapes 13 and 14 are secured to theouter `face of the stabilizer strip 12 of about two inches in width, theupper tape having about a one inch width of the tape 13 secured alongthe'upper, outer face of the strip 12,

v with about a one inch width free and extending beyond the upper edgeof the strip 12, and similarly about a one inch width of the tapelleisecured along the lower, outer face of the strip 12 with about vaone inch width free and extending beyond the lower edge of the strip 12.

The strip 12 preferably is composed of foam rubber of-a polyester or ofa plastic material consisting as an instance either of (l) a polymerizedrubber replacement consisting of a polymerization product of monovinylacetylene and hydrochloric acid, (2) a rubber-like product known asfactice obtained by heating an unsatiated oil with sulphur 0r sulphurmonochloride, of which linseed or rape seed oil are typical, in someinstances, vulcanized, or (3) a rubber-like product obtained yby thereaction of dicarboxyiic esters and dialcohols in the presence ofdiisocyanate, or the like. The tapes 13 and 1d may be composed of cottonfabric or the like, and in turnfthe connection between the tapes 13 and14 and the strip 12 may be eected by any suitable adhesive, plasticcement, rubber cement, or the like, or even by metal staples. Excellentresults have been achieved when the tapes 13 and 1d are so-called rubbercemented tapes, and the cemented surface of the tape applied to thestrip 12.

rthe free portions 15 and i6 of the tapes 13 and 11i, respectively, seeFigs. 3 and 4, are preferably secured to the ticking sheets i) and 1@and the outer strip 11. As shown, the end 'of the free portion 15 ispositioned between the end portion 17" of the sheet 9 and the endportion 18 of the strip 11, and a second tape 19 secured around theouter faces of the sheet 9 and the outer face of the strip 11 andstitched in place. 1n turn, the outer end of the free portieri 16 ispositioned between the end portion 2d of the cheet iti and the endportion 21 of the strip 11, and then a second tape 22 secured around theouter faces ot the sheet 10 and the outer face of thestrip 11 andstitched in place.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. l to 4, inclusive, the ends of thestrip 12 are shown as abutting one another at Furthermore, the outerface of the strip 1f?. is shown as plane, the outer portion 2d and lowerportion 25 are substantially rectangular with the inner face 26 of thestrip from the upper portion 24 down to the lower portion Z5 beingconvex, and conforming to and extending into engagement with the outeredges of the border, `the strip i2 will of course yield, and portions ofthe same extend into and between the spiral portions ofthe adjacentsprings 3. However, the springs 3 will cooperate with the strip 12 sothat, as an instance, the strip 2 cannot collapse inwardly into alJ-shape. While strips 12 composed of foam rubber can be bent into aU-shape without noticeable injury to the composition of the strip 12,obviously the life of the strip will be materially prolonged if suchexcessive bend can be eliminated. Since the outerplane face of the stripwill be maintained in substantial engagement with the border strip 11,it will .form an inner body for the strip il so that when engaged by thefingers of a user the strain in the strip 1l will be taken up by thestrip 12 and the vlite of the border strip 11 thereby materiallyprolonged. Still furthermore, due to the fact that the strip 12 will beuniform in elasticity throughout its length, intermittenthardspots alongthe border will be positively eliminated.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 5, in place of a oncpiece strip 12 thereare provided two strips 27 and 2S which are secured to the sides 29 `and30 of the mattress 3l, and the ends 32. and 33 not provided with aborder stabilizer such as the sections or strips 2'7, 28.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, instead of the stripA 12, the `strip34 is provided which is substantially rectangular in cross section andreliance placed upon the yieldability of the strip 34 to permit, as aninstance, the edge portions 35 and 36 of the hour-glass spring 37 toextend into the strip 34 while the intermediate inner face of the strip34 merely abuts against the edge 3S' of the intermediate spiral of thehour-glass spring 37.

Excellent results have been achieved when the strip 12 extends from thewire 5 to the wire 6 and its maximum depth is about one to six of thewidth or altitude from wire 5 to wire 6, and in turn the maximum depthis about twice the depth of the portions 24 and 12.5.V

ln turn, with the strip `34 shown in Fig. 6, excellent results have beenachieved when the depth throughout relative to the altitude or widthisfabout one to six. ln other words, for a six inch width, the depth ofthe strip 34 would be about one inch.v

In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 6,`in place of two tapes 13 and 14there is here provided a single tape 39 securedto the outer `face of thestrip 34. This tape 39 here shown mayalso be connected to the strip 34by any suitable adhesive, plastic cementprubber cement or the like, oreven by metal staples. The tape 39, just as is the case with the tapes13and 14, has portions 4G and 4l. extending beyond the upper and lowerends ol the strip 34. These freely extending portions di) and 41 areprovided to be connected to the mattress covering or mattress ticking,just as is the case with the freely-extending` portons 15 and 16 of theembodiment shown in 3. With the tape 39 extending across the entire faceof the strip 34 there will of course be no voids or spaces formedbetween the ticking border strip `4?.. and the stabilizer strip 34 as isthe case between the tapes 13 and 14 of the embodiment illustrated inFig. 3. Consequently, such voids or spaces even though slight, will beentirely eliminated with the `embodiment illustrated in Fig. 6.Excellent results have been achieved when this space was so eliminatedin the interest of positively maintaining `a `smooth outer face `for theticking border strip 42. With the tape 39 extending across the entireouter face of the stabilizer strip 34, the ticking border strip fl?,`will always have a rm backing in the interest of protecting thisportion of the ticking strip from injury.

It is obvious that materials other than foam rubber or polyester couldbe used for the strips 12 or 34- so long '4 as they hadthe sameproperties as foam rubber or polyester, without departing from thegeneral spirit of the invention above set forth.

With the border stabilizer 12 or 34, it lwill of course be unnecessaryto introduce a felt filler between the border ticking strip 11 and thespiral springs 3. In other words, the soft, yieldable stabilizer` 12 or34 will fully satisfy the requirements of the felt fillers heretoforeinterposed between the ticking strip 11 and the spiral springs 3.

it is obvious that various changes and modilications may be made to the`details of. construction without departing from the general spirit ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims.

l claim:

l. A mattress consisting 0f an inner spring unit comprising upper andlower rectangular border forming wires, an upper layer of felt fillingabove the level of the upper wire,a lower layer of felt iilling belowthe level of the lower wire, a plurality of spiral springs includingoutermost rows of spiral springs connected to one another and to saidwires, a border stabilizer consisting of a strip of a. soft elasticmaterial having the properties of foam rubber, extending from the upperwire to the lower wire and nesting into the springs of the `outermostrows of spiral springs, tape means attached to the outer face of saidelastic material and extending beyond the upper and lower edgesof saidmaterial, a border ticking strip extending `around the outer face ofsaid elastic material and attached to said tape means, an upper tickingsheet attached to the upper face of said upper felt layer, a lowertickingisheet attached to the lower face of said lower felt layer, andmeans iattaching the edges of said upper and lower ticking sheets to theupper and lower edges of said border ticking sheet, respectively.

2. The stabilizer for the border of a mattress having an inner springunit comprising upper and lower rectangular border-forming wires, anupper layer of felt filling above the level of said upper wire and alower layer of felt filling below the level of said lower wire, aplurality of spiral springs including outermost rows of spiral springsconnected to one another and to said wires, the stabilizer consisting ofa soft elastic :material having substantially the properties of foamrubber extending from the upper wire to the lower wire and nesting intothe springs of the outermost rows, an elongated strip of tickingadjacent the i outer face :of said stabilizer, an upper sheet of tickingattached to the upper face of the upper layer of felt filling, a lowersheet of ticking attached to the lower face of the lower layer offelt;flling, the edges of said sheets of ticking attached to the upperand lower edges of said strip of ticking, and means including stripsextending from the upper and lower edges of said elastic materialsecuring said elastic material to said sheets of ticking and to saidstrip of ticking.

3. The stabilizer as set forth in claim 2 in which said elastic materialcomprises two sections, one for each side of the mattress.

4. The stabilizer forvthe border of a mattress having an inner springunit comprising upper and lower rectangular border-forming wires, anupper layer of felt filling above the level of said upper Wire and alower layer of felt filling below the level of said lower wire, aplurality of spiral springs connected to one another and to said wires,the stabilizer consisting of a soft elastic material havingsubstantially the properties of foam rubber extending from the upperWire to the lower wire and nesting into the springs of the outermostrows, an elongated strip of ticking adjacent the outer face of saidstabilizer, an upper sheetofticking attached to theupper face of theupper layer of felt filling, a lower sheet of ticking attached to thelower uface of the lower layer of felt filling, the edges of said sheetsof ticking attached to theupper and lower edges of said stripof ticking,and means including strips extending from the upper and lower edges ofsaid elastic material securing said elastic material to said sheets ofticking.

5. The stabilizer for the border of a mattress having an inner springunit comprising upper and lower rectangular border-forming wires, anupper layer of felt filling above the level of said upper Wire and alower layer of felt lling below the level of said lower wire, aplurality of `spiral springs including outermost rows of spiral springsconnected to one another and to said wires, the stabilizer consisting ofa soft elastic material having substantially the properties of foamrubber extending from the upper Wire to the lower wire and nesting intothe springs of the outermost rows, an elongated strip `of tickingadjacent the outer face of said stabilizer, an upper sheet of tickingattached to the upper face of the upper layer of felt filling, a lowersheet of ticking attached to the lower face of the lower layer of feltlling, the edges of said sheets of ticking attached to the upper andlower edges of said strip of ticking, and means including stripsextending from the upper and lower edges of said elastic materialsecuring said elastic material to said strip of ticking.

References Cited in the fllc of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,865,043 Pittoni June 28, 1932 2,018,773 Becker Oct. 29, 1935 2,359,003Sawyer Sept. 26, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 676,815 France Nov. 29, 1929

